RAG

RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, is putting its spoil tips in new hands: The Ruhr Regional Association (Regionalverband Ruhr, RVR) is taking over 20 redeveloped mining sites with a total surface area of 1,149 ha (Figure 1). These are primarily intended to be developed into natural sites and activity areas.

“The mountains of the Ruhr metropolitan area are more than viewpoints. As landmarks, they are points of reference in the urban landscape and represent a unique feature of this region with their ever-changing backdrop. The acquisition of further spoil tips offers us, as the largest spoil tip owner in the Ruhr region, the opportunity to significantly help shape the geographical development of our region,” explains RVR Regional Director Karola Geiß-Netthöfel. RAG is keeping its promise to make post-mining sustainable for the people in the mining regions, according to Peter Schrimpf, Chairman of the Executive Board of RAG: “Not only can our areas help with creating new jobs; they can also make the district more attractive. Needless to say, this also includes our spoil tips. However, we are unable to guarantee public use permanently. The RVR is clearly better suited to this.”

“We want to incorporate the spoil tips into the green infrastructure of the Ruhr metropolitan area and open them up to the people of the Ruhr region as well as tourists. They are not just decorative structures but rather important components in the creation of a climate-friendly region,” adds RVR representative Nina Frense. Some of the newly acquired spoil tips are already accessible to the public and are being used for leisure and tourism purposes, for local recreation or for energy production – in 2021, this already applies to nine spoil tips with a surface area of 380 ha. These are the spoil tips of Lohberg North (Dinslaken), Scholver Feld (Gelsenkirchen), Rungenberg (Gelsenkirchen), Mottbruch (Gladbeck), Graf Moltke 2 (Gladbeck), Elsa-Brändström-Straße (Lünen/Dortmund), Blumenthal 8 (Oer-Erkenschwick), Humbert (Hamm) and Groppenbruch (Dortmund).

Other spoil tips are still under mining authority supervision and will gradually be made accessible to people in the Ruhr region. The stages of the closure plan will be successively completed by RAG subsidiary RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH by 2035. Over the course of the next 15 years, the spoil tips Haniel (Bottrop), Canal Belt – Haus Aden (Bergkamen), Brinkfortsheide (Marl), Lohberg North extension (Hünxe), Sundern (Hamm), Radbod (Hamm), Scholven (Gelsenkirchen), Kohlenhuck (Moers), Graf Moltke 1 (Gladbeck), Wehofen East (Dinslaken/Duisburg) and Rossenray (Kamp-Lintfort) will be gradually handed over to the RVR.

“By handing the spoil tips over to the RVR, RAG will save on maintenance costs. In this way, we will be able to contribute some of these savings to the RVR’s maintenance costs for a period of 20 years. We are therefore playing an important part in the transformation of the Ruhr region and in the future public use of spoil tips,” states Michael Kalthoff, CFO at RAG.

The operating costs for the upkeep of the landscape and trail system amount to around 1.4 M € per year for the 20 spoil tips. RAG will contribute half of the maintenance expenses. The RVR has already commissioned external planning offices to look into if and how the reclaimed mining sites can be used for tourism, leisure and recreation. The result of the utilisation concept is that nine spoil tips with a total surface area of 742 ha are suitable for developing tourist facilities because of their site qualities.

The nine spoil tips that are of special interest for tourism purposes include Kohlenhuck, Lohberg North, Haniel, Mott-bruch, Scholven, Rungenberg, Brinkforts-heide, Haus Aden 2 and Humbert. Haus Aden 2, Lohberg North, Mottbruch and Brinkfortsheide are also being considered as potential sites for the International Garden Festival (IGA Ruhr metropolitan area 2027). The other eleven spoil tips will add to the green leisure and recreation infrastructure of the Ruhr metropolitan area and enhance it from an ecological point of view. Energy production systems have already been installed at six spoil tips, while other spoil tips are being considered as potential sites for wind turbines or solar plants.

Consultants involved in the utilisation concept estimated the investment costs for qualifying the spoil tips to amount to around 50.4 M €. The RVR will attempt to secure funding for this.

The RVR is the owner of 37 spoil tips to date. Many of them have already been specifically developed so that they remain visible landmarks. Works of art have turned them into symbols of the new Ruhr region. At the same time, they have been transformed into attractive areas for tourism, recreation, leisure and sport. (RAG/Si.)

RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, tested methods for further reducing PCB in pit water at pilot facility level in Bergkamen and Ibbenbüren. The initial results from this series of tests are now available. The investigation into the PCB content takes place at the margin of detectability in the trace substance range. The analytical process being used here for the first time needs further development. At the same time, project manager Christoph Schabronath emphasises that: “The environmental quality standard for PCB in water is being adhered to at both the Haus Aden and Ibbenbüren sites.”

RAG broke new ground with this project and exceeded the legal requirements. Both the systems engineering and the analysis in the trace substance area were challenging. The task was to filter the smallest traces of PCB out of a large volume of pit water and to analyse it.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, RAG operated a pilot facility on container scale for removing PCB from pit water at the Haus Aden site, followed by Ibbenbüren (Figure 1). Further developed technologies and operating methods from drinking water preparation were used, i. e. single- and multi-layer filters made from quartz sand and anthracite coal in the pit water side stream.

Schabronath explains: “The pilot facility ran smoothly at both sites. However, the examination of the PCB content took place at the margin of detectability in the trace substance range.” Reliably determining such small traces of a substance and assessing the results is extremely challenging, and requires experience and a procedure adapted to the specific case at hand.

Due to the low concentration of PCB in the pit water, the results were unclear and it was not possible to eliminate uncertainty in the analysis. With such minimal traces, parallel investigations into the background presence of PCB in air and water are necessary.

At the end of 2019, an expert group consisting of ministries, authorities, surveyors and scientists met to assess these results. This group of experts also sees a need for further research. RAG has committed to further developing the analytical method within the framework of a doctorate in cooperation with the TH Georg Agricola University (THGA) in Bochum. (RAG/Si.)

Residents of certain areas near the former West, Prosper-Haniel, Lippe, Auguste Victoria and Ost mines are entitled to file claims for the period from 2008 until the closure of the relevant mine.

Underground coal mining in the Ruhr region resulted in repeated tremors at the ground surface on some occasions. The frequency, temporal density and intensity varied depending on the area. In certain locations, these tremors were very noticeable. Following intensive negotiations, the RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, has now reached an agreement with the VBHG (association of owners whose property or land has been damaged by mining). The two parties agreed that compensation will be paid for reductions in property value (§ 906(2) German Civil Code) resulting from past mining-related tremors. The agreement reached with the VBHG allows for compensation payments of up to 200, 400 or 800 €. This is based on a system of flat rates, which takes into account both the results of the VBHG’s relevant test cases and the regional differences in tremor intensity.

In addition, RAG offers owners, tenants and others with right of residence, who are not represented by the VBHG but have also been affected by such tremors in the past, compensation per affected residential unit at the same conditions. The flat-rate payment is made once, irrespective of the specific number of people living in a residential unit, to compensate any and all reductions to the property value caused by mining-related tremors.

Residents are entitled to claim compensation for the period between 2008 and the point at which the relevant mine was closed. Tremors and any resulting claims prior to 2008 are statue-barred in line with the agreed interpretation of the law. Claims for compensation can be submitted until 31st December 2020 in line with § 906(2) of the German Civil Code. Claims submitted after this deadline will not be considered. There is no right to reimbursement for costs relating to consultations with a solicitor.

Information on which residential units are located in areas significantly impacted by tremors and are therefore entitled to compensation can be found online at RAG’s citizen’s information service: www.bid.rag.de. (RAG/Si.)

The RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, has restructured its property management duties. Consequently, it is continuing its ongoing restructuring process following the discontinuation of the German coal mining industry and against the backdrop of particular challenges in the post-mining era. Two changes in the management of RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH are associated with the restructuring: Uwe Penth, who up until now has headed up the Central Division of “Overall Planning and Business Management” at RAG, is becoming chair of business management and consequently the successor of Markus Masuth. Uwe Penth will also remain regional representative for RAG in the Saar region within his new function. A further appointment was made within the commercial division of RAG Montan Immobilien. Hans-Jürgen Meiers, who has been employed within the Central Division of RAG up to now, has taken over the role of commercial managing director Theodor Schlüter. Masuth and Schlüter have subsequently left the company. Ulrich Wessel remains responsible for the personnel division of RAG Montan Immobilien.

Erich Kometz, Director of the Central Division for Communication and Sustainability (CR) at RAG, went into retirement at the end of 2019.

More than a year has passed since the last two mines of the RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, ceased production. Despite the halt in production, however, work continues both above and below ground at the mines of Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop and Ibbenbüren in the Tecklenburg region. Indeed, there were a number of tasks that remained to be completed in a reliable and responsible manner.

The 21st December 2018 saw the close of the last chapter of the history of active coal mining in Germany, at the Franz Haniel mining pit. In front of 500 attendees and guests of honour – which included then President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Armin Laschet, Minister-President of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia – President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier accepted the last piece of coal produced in Germany. The key commemorative event held in Bottrop was a historic moment for the Ruhr District, the Federal Republic of Germany and Germany as a whole, which bid a solemn farewell to the country’s coal mining industry.

Now that the phasing-out period has run its cause, however, the closure operations remain – and they are by no means an easy task. Consequently, miners have been unearthing everything that needs to be disposed of for environmental reasons from the mine workings. This has included equipment and components that would ideally continue to be used in a variety of potential applications on the global market. In addition to carrying out the necessary preparation work on the Prosper-Haniel and Ibbenbüren mines, the RAG organisation has most recently sold off elements that particularly include ventilation systems, gearing mechanisms and strip material from the underground section, as well as equipment from the workshops above ground. These were then sold on to recipients in different countries, in particular Poland and Turkey – although some of this equipment also went to buyers in Germany.

At present, shafts 9 and 10 of the Prosper-Haniel mine near the Bottrop districts of Grafenwald and Kirchhellen are being filled in. Even the Haniel mine where the German President was presented with the last piece of coal is being prepared for filling, with RAG continuing to drain water underground here today. In future, the Hünxe shaft will become part of the planned central dewatering works in Lohberg. The Prosper-Haniel mine workings have shrunk considerably, and the length of the route network has been reduced from its former 120 km to a total of just 8 km (Figure 1). The end of the year 2019 marked the end of the mine employing any workers.

In Ibbenbüren too, significant progress has been made with closure operations over the course of 2019. The mine pit workings have been reduced by almost another 16 km to a total of 30.5 km. The company has also submitted a plan for the closure of underground operations to the district government. A first shaft, known as the Theodor shaft, has already been filled to the point of stability (Figure 2).

Closure operations for the other shafts as well as from the central mine workings with discontinuation of deep water drainage are progressing according to plan. The situation is similar for overground closure work: The first few buildings have already been handed over for subsequent use by organisations such as the municipal works for the Tecklenburg region. The number of direct employees in Ibbenbüren has been reduced from 609 to 271.

With regard to the plans of the RAG for dealing with mine water, upward extraction of mine water has already been approved for some underground mine workings – namely for Walsum, as well as for partial operations in Lohberg, Auguste Victoria, Haus Aden and Ibben-büren (Westfeld). Currently, approval procedures are being prepared for other mine workings or are already ongoing, as is the case for Prosper-Haniel, Zollverein and the Ostfeld section of Ibbenbüren. The final procedures for the approval of the upward extraction of mine water are set to continue until 2024 at the latest. The final construction measures must be completed with the Lohberg site by 2030 at the latest. (RAG/Si.)

The works councils of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, and the social partners of the company were the recipients of a special honour at the most recent award ceremony for the German Works Councils’ Prize in Bonn. On the occasion of the annual Conference of German Works Councils, they were presented with a special prize that was awarded for the first time by a professional jury for the “outstanding organisation of structural change” within the German coal mining industry (Figure 1).

Gripping, captivating and highly emotional: These words and many more sum up the unique moments that played out in the former plenary hall of the German Bundestag. Despite the event lasting many hours, the venue was fully packed, with most guests having to stand to watch the award ceremony. All eyes were on the centre of the hall.

Here, past and present members of the RAG works councils as well as leading representatives of the company stood shoulder to shoulder. These included Barbara Schlüter, current chair of the General Works Council; Peter Schrimpf, chairman of the RAG executive board; Ludwig Ladzinski and Norbert Maus, former chairs of the General Works Council; and many other delegates from the company’s participative management. In addition, the representatives were accompanied by the region’s Ruhrkohle Choir. In the course of practically unending applause, the public congratulated the efforts that had been made throughout the phasing-out process of the coal mining industry. As moderator Eva-Maria Stopp-kotte put it, it was a round of ovations for a “unique centennial project”.

“You have all done a tremendous job,” exclaimed Karin Erhard, member of the executive board for the IG BCE trade union for mining, chemicals and energy, in her laudatory speech to the recipients of the award. She remarked that the struggle for social sustainability had been a collaborative effort, and it was now her pleasure to award the special prize, which she placed on par with an Oscar.

Schlüter, who accepted the prize on behalf of all works councils, spoke of a “substantial joint accomplishment”. She expressed significant gratitude to all those who had been involved, remarking that it was an honour to accept the award and that it filled her with great pride. In her speech, she also conveyed her hope that the socially responsible structural change in the German coal mining industry would also be able to serve as an example for other companies and sectors.

Tribute was also paid by Schrimpf, who remarked: “I take my hat off to our works councils.” He emphasised that they had consistently upheld their duty of co-determination and shared responsibility, and continued to provide their support even in the face of unpleasant decisions such as site closures. As Schrimpf highlighted, the welfare of everyone had always remained the focus of the works councils’ activities.

The German Works Councils’ Prize is an initiative on the part of the renowned trade publication „Arbeitsrecht im Betrieb“ (“Employment Law in Business”). Since 2009, it has honoured the commitment and successful work of works councils that have made a long-term dedication to preserving or creating workplaces or improving working conditions in companies. A highly esteemed appointed jury, which is comprised of trade union representatives as well as scientists and practitioners, makes an annual selection from an ever growing number of submitted projects. (RAG/Si.)

Since 1st October 2019 Marcel Tiedeken has been managing the Mining Damage division in the service area Location and Geo Services of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany, and succeeds Roland Pawlicki, who went to Adjustment. Christian Müller, Head of the Service Department, assists him as deputy.

The training mine in Recklinghausen/Germany is to be the biggest adventure mine for coal in Germany. For this purpose, the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR), the city of Recklinghausen and RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen, concluded a corresponding cooperation agreement.

The RVR has since taken over the area of the training mine under mining supervision from RAG. The purchase agreement between RVR and RAG was signed recently. The sponsoring association took over the 7 ha area in order to maintain it and open it up to visitors. The District Government of Arnsberg, which is responsible for mining in the state, already approved the continued operation of the training mine by the sponsoring association. At the end of 2021 it will be examined whether the training mine can be operated as a visitor mine over the long term.

The RAG will use the training mine for training activities, e.g. for the mine rescue team, and also pay for it until at least the end of 2021. The city of Recklinghausen undertakes to make up the deficit of the sponsoring association up to 40,000 €/a.

A mine that includes everything in the original form (1,400 m long and 17 m deep), which makes up the coal mining sector, belongs to the training mine. This includes three face advances, as well as longwalls. A shaft is also present and the tunnel system is ventilated like an active mine. The mining equipment, such as plane, shearer loaders and ram-type machines, on which the trainees of RAG previously practised, are fully operational. This way visitors can experience the mining processes on functioning machines first-hand.

In combination with the Museum of Electricity and Life, the Hoheward landscape park, the Hochlarmark district park and the Dragon Bridge, which are in the vicinity, an attractive tourism offer comes to life in the north of the Ruhr metropolitan region.

The RVR, the city of Recklinghausen, RAG and the sponsoring association presented the cooperative venture for the visitor and adventure mine on 1st October 2019 (Figure 1). (RAG/Si.)

On 1st August 2019, Werner Grigo became Director of the newly-created central unit of Permit Management at RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen/Germany. Grigo previously worked as a head officer in the area of Mining Sustainability in the Arnsberg District Government.

Two hundred years of active coal mining in Germany came to an end on 21st December 2018 (Figure 1). The Franz Haniel shaft in Bottrop saw the very last lump of coal brought to the surface. Over 500 guests and guests of honour, including President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet, assembled at the site to witness the winding up of an industry that has been such a dominant force in shaping Germany. Turning its back on coal marks a monumental sea change for the Ruhr region.

At the invitation of RAG Aktiengesell-schaft and the RAG-Stiftung, both based in Essen/Germany, high-ranking representatives from politics, industry and commerce, trade unions and civil society attended the main send-off for the German coal mining industry, where they were able to observe this historic turning point in German industrial history first-hand.

Kicking off the event, Peter Schrimpf, CEO at RAG, made a speech that paid tribute to the many successes and achievements of the German coal mining industry. He honoured the miners in particular, whose hard work below ground he credited with making the mining regions, and Germany as a whole, what it is today. Even during the phase-out process, they remained highly motivated and focussed on their responsibilities when performing their duties, right down to the very last day. Their efforts were crucial in enabling the company to fulfil its obligations in accordance with the German Hard Coal Financing Act. Once this was complete, a ceremony was conducted at the Franz Haniel shaft in the Prosper-Haniel mine. Seven miners hauled the final lump of coal to the surface and, in a symbolic gesture, presented it to President Steinmeier, who paid tribute to the achievements of the German coal mining industry and expressed how much he respected and appreciated everything that had been accomplished.

Bernd Tönjes, CEO at RAG-Stiftung, joined him in highlighting the extraordinary successes of the miners and employees of the German coal mining industry. He also looked to the future and spoke of the need to make concerted efforts to continue rapidly progressing the transformation in the former mining regions. RAG is in charge of carrying out this work, with both companies considering the mining regions to be their responsibility beyond 2018, according to Tönjes.

In his formal address, Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed the relevance of the coal mining industry from a national perspective. Building on this, Jean-Claude Juncker went on to explain that the industrialisation of Europe is inextricably linked to the mining of coal as an energy source. He also highlighted the important role coal has played in maintaining peace and prosperity in Europe. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was set up in 1952, was the first supranational organisation in Europe and was the original community on which the European Union in its current form would ultimately be built.

Armin Laschet also spoke of community and cohesion. He cited the miners’ achievements, drawing attention to the significance of coal mining’s role in developing the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He also pointed out the Ruhr region’s enormous capacity for change. Once upon a time revolving entirely around the mining industry, it has since evolved into one of Europe’s most significant regions for innovation and scientific endeavour. Laschet emphasised that the state government and local players, with assistance from the German federal government and the EU, are continuing to pursue this new direction and, by hosting the Ruhr Conference, seek to spur further scientific growth and create new opportunities for the future.

Michael Vassiliadis, President of IG BCE, then took to the stage to give a speech that focussed on the role of social partnership. He referenced an oft-quoted phrase in German, “Kein Bergmann fällt ins Bergfreie” – roughly translated, this means “No miner will be abandoned”, a promise that has indeed been kept. He credited this to the social partners, and, in particular, the employees, who insisted on being shown the respect and recognition that they deserved. This sentiment was echoed by Barbara Schlüter, Chair of the Works Council working group in the RAG Group, in the final speech. She described the mining industry’s greatest legacy as being that of solidarity, camaraderie and equality – a legacy that will survive beyond 2018.

Music for the event was provided by the Ruhr Coal Choir and the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Also featured was a short film by Werner Kubny, which captured impressive scenes of an underground world. (RAG/Si.)